Gladness Gideon
Controversial media personality and social commentator, Kemi Olunloyo, has publicly renounced her family name and distanced herself from the family of her late father, Dr. Victor Omololu Olunloyo, a former Governor of Oyo State who passed away on Sunday, April 6, at the age of 89.
In a string of emotional video statements released via her Facebook and TikTok platforms, Olunloyo made it clear that she no longer identifies with the Olunloyo lineage, refusing to accept condolences over her father’s demise.
“I am not part of the Olunloyo family anymore,” she declared. “I told you in 2024 that I would never return to Nigeria even if my parents died.”
Although she acknowledged having forgiven her father, Olunloyo painted a harrowing picture of a fractured childhood and a home life she claims was filled with emotional and physical abuse.
“My father was two different people,” she stated. “He showed the world one version, but we, his children, lived with someone else entirely. He destroyed our family unit.”
Describing her late father, a distinguished mathematician and political figure, as a man who projected an image of affection toward her in public, Olunloyo alleged that this was far from the reality behind closed doors.
“He marketed me as his favourite child, but in truth, I was far from that. He took advantage of my energy, my strengths, and used me for personal gain.”
READ ALSO: Ex-Oyo Gov Victor Olunloyo Dies at 89
Adding to her list of grievances, Olunloyo alleged that her father was deeply involved in occult practices before converting to Christianity later in life. She claimed that following public exposure of these practices during his 80th birthday, Dr. Olunloyo sought spiritual redemption through Pastor E.A. Adeboye and became born again.
A significant point of tension, according to Olunloyo, was her father’s relationship with Aderonke Omololu Olunloyo (formerly Ronke Sonaike), whom he married during his 1983 gubernatorial campaign. The union, she said, deeply affected her mother and further strained the already fragile family dynamics.
“My mother married a man of intellect, a man who earned a Ph.D. at 26. She did not anticipate polygamy, nor the pain that came with it,” she noted.
As of the time of this report, no public statement has been issued by other members of the Olunloyo family or representatives of the late former governor in response to Kemi Olunloyo’s claims.
Dr. Victor Omololu Olunloyo, remembered by many as a brilliant academic and a political figure of note, now leaves behind a legacy clouded by personal controversy — one that continues to stir public discourse even in death.